Newsletter

Kansas AAA reports 22,000 calls this winter

Calls related to dead batteries increased

AAA reported it came to the rescue of more than 22,000 drivers in Kansas this winter.

The number of drivers needing assistance rose 5 percent compared to the winter of 2012-2013, according to Jim Hanni, executive vice president of public affairs for AAA in Kansas. A total of 22,103 drivers called the AAA Roadside Rescue Team for help between Dec. 21 and March 20.

Calls for dead batteries increased the most, rising by 16 percent, Hanni said, while calls for towing, winching out stuck cars and opening doors for drivers who locked themselves out stayed at about the same level as the year before. Cold weather can sap battery life, so AAA’s roadside assistance teams carry the tools to check the power level, along with spare batteries for most makes of cars, he said.

“Before we had that service you’d have to take the car in,” he said. “We try to do as much (as possible) on the go, getting people going on the roadside.”

Calls related to tire problems also increased by 10 percent. When temperatures decrease, the molecules in the air move less, and air pressure decreases. In practice, that means that for every 10 degrees the temperature falls, tires lose about one pound per square inch of pressure, Hanni said.

The number of total calls and calls related to dead batteries and tire issues showed the effect of an unusually cold winter, Hanni said.

“We just had a lot of storm activity this year,” he said.

The number of calls wasn’t broken down by counties or cities, but large numbers typically come from Wichita and Topeka because they are population centers, Hanni said. The Kansas City area is part of a different AAA club branch.

“As far as Topeka’s concerned, we certainly didn’t have the low end of it,” he said. “It was just wintry all over the state.”

While the winter driving season may be over, drivers need to think about any damage done by corrosive de-icing fluid or by the cold, Hanni said.

■ Check windshield wipers. If windshield wipers were used on icy windows, they may have been damaged and should be replaced.

■ Springtime ushers in the rainy season in Kansas and drivers need to check their tires to make sure they are properly inflated and to ensure they have the proper amount of tread. An easy way to check tire tread is to insert a quarter into the tread — if the tread is touching or partially covering Washington’s head, the tire has adequate tread.

■ During the harsh conditions this winter some drivers parked vehicles and rode out winter storms at home. Batteries should be checked for vehicles that weren’t driven frequently.